Cloth folding and measuring machine



Feb, 27, 1923.. 1,4A6A94; H. D. BRENNER.

CLOTH FOLDING AND MEASURING MACHINE.

FILED NON-8,1920. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Feb, 27, 1923.

H D BRENNER CLOTH FOLDING AND MEASURING MACHINE.

FILED NOV-'8, 1920. I 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- H. D. BRENNER.

CLOTH FOLDING AND MEASURING MACHINE.

HLED NOV-'8, 1920. 3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

Feb 27, 19230 1,446,494

Jae/672502".

V%WIMJ J' $2 6 72 716 W I HEBIEAN D.

SPIESBEFGEB, OIL. A. 681-117, ALL OF C Application filed llovctn ter 8, 1920.

a citizen at to ool; Iouutv.

merchant 4 in other places ivscre c o measured. or ootli. .;o t folding; or measuring by hand folded.

i through the niachi Another ohye to provide an improved construction and arrangement whereby. in either a "folding or a measuringunichiue or in a machine for both purposes the cloth is delivered smoothly to the machine. as hv teedingg it from a belt or roll. and whereby any tension of the cloth is reduced and practically elim nated before th cloth reaches the folding 2 ins. or b it reaches the measuring means. so that bcter results are ensured in the folding ol the cloth. or in the mcasiu-ing thereof. or both. depending upon the character and, purpos of the machine in Which the iiistruinentad for thus feedin the cloth ai .plcyeil.

A further object is to provide novel and improved vfolding means tor ensuring a satist'actory folding oi? the cloth in the desired manner.

Another object is to provide a novel, and improved arrangement of the measuring; means in'conjunction with other elements. so that the cloth will be accurately meas ured it travels through the machine.

It is also an object to provide certain features and details of construction combinations tending" to increase the general efliciency and the desirability a machine of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends the invention cons' s in matters hereinafter set d and in the accomin which:

forth and L P nymg dra maroon-Tn TO H. a". o" T0 ones-anon EQLDING All?) IYIEASUBZNG IKAGEEIHE.

Serial No. 422,677.

F 11c l is a plan of cloth folding and measuring machine embodying the principles 015. the invention. showing; certain portions tlr 'eo'i' broken away to shorten the view, and For convenience oil? illustration,

Figure 2 a side elevation of the urai-hine shown in Figure l,'

Figure is an enlarged longitudinal section on line 33 in Figure l with certain central portions of the machine omitted or shown broken away for couvenieiue in illusiralion.

Figure 4; is a transverse section i e in Figure l,

on. line ll igure 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the oldingr mechanism Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5.

but showing; said mechanism in a dil liercnt position.

-s thus illustrated, the invention cointabletop 2. the lengthof said table depending upon conditions and requirements. as Will hereafter more fully appear. A feet. roll is suitable mounted in transverse position at the receiving end, of the said table and a similar roll amounted at the discharge end said table, while one or more intermediate rolls 5 are located at suitable points in the mid le portion oi. the table. These rolls are all connected together by belts 6 of any suitable cha r-arr ter in any suitable or desired manner, so that the =(arr transversely arranged teed rolls thus provic -l rotate simultaneously with uniform speed in the same direction. It will be seen that these rolls extend little above the to surface of the table.- so that the width of the cloth Will be sustained by said rolls at intervals alongthe length of said table. Inclined brackets 7 are provided at the discharge end of the achine. and an idler teed roll 8 is provided at its ends With-journals or small hubs 9 that rest against the inclined sides of the brackets 71 so that this roll engages and eX- erts its Weight against the positively driven feed roll at previously mentioned. lhe feed roll a is driven by an electric motor 10 through the medium of a suitable gear connection 11 so that all of the feed rolls are driven simultaneously at the desired speed.

uses a longtahle having a frame 1 and a Guides 12 direct the cloth on to the r0113, in the manner shown in Figure 3, and the cloth then moves forward toward the discharge end of the machine.

the foldcr'a sprocket chain 16 connects one through the machine.

end of, therol] i l with a rotary crank 17 suitably mounted on the frame of themachine, and this crank is connected by a pitman 18 with the said folder. lVith this arrangement, the electric motor 10 drives all of the feed rolls, and the feed roll 4 communicates power to the swinging folder 13, so that the power for operating the cloth feeding and the cloth folding means is all derived from the same motor or other source.

The means for measuring the cloth-may be of any suitable, known or approved character. Preferably, however, in accordance with the invention, means for this purpose are provided comprising a transversely arranged arm l9 which is hinged to one side of thebody frame at 20, so that the cloth l4 will'pass smoothly and readily below the said arm, and a cloth meter 21 of anysuitable, known or approved character ismounted on the end of said arm and provided with a wheel 22 that rests upon the traveling cloth, whereby saidmeter is operated by the feeding motion of the cloth as it travels When desired, the clothmeter thus provided and operated canbe swung upward into the position indicatedv by the dotted lines in Figure 4, but in operation the wheel 22 rests upon the cloth, near the feed roll 4, in the manner shown.

.Means of any suitable character can be provided for supplying the cloth to the receiving end of the machine. Preferably, however, such means include a pair of supporting rolls 23 arranged transversely of the direction of travel of the cl0th,.in the same horizontal plane, and mounted upon upright members 24 in position near the receiving endof the machine. The bolt or roll of cloth 25 issuspended from the feed rolls 23 in a loop of'the cloth, as shown in Figure 3, so that the cloth as it unwinds extends'around and over the rolls 23 and then 7' downward under the roller bolt of cloth the cloth from the bolt or-roll 25, but because of the length of the table top 2 and the general arrangement of the feeding in strumentalities any tension of the cloth is considerably reduced, and eliminated, if possible, before it reaches the measuring means and the folding means.- If the cloth were taken directly from the rolls 23' to the roll 4:, or even to a point substantiallyunder the measuring means, the short distance thus traveled by the cloth would result in some tension, and neither the folding nor the measuring would be ofthe desired charac ter; but, by reason of the comparatively long and loose stretch of practically floating cloth provided between the first feed roll and the final feed roll 4 any tension of the cloth is pretty much confined to the portion which is traveling from the rolls 23 to'the roll 3, and any tension completely disappears, or practically so, while the cloth is then traveling horizontally on the table, so that better results are ensured in the measuring and folding of the cloth. The tension of the. cloth as it leaves the boltor roll 25, or

the resistance offered to the pulling of the cloth forward by the first feed roll 2, can

be adjusted or regulated in any suitable ordesired manner, and such tension willfclepend largely on the character of the bearings of the rolls 23, as the lessfrictio-n these bearings present the less resistance will be offered to the smooth and easily unwinding of the cloth and the'delivery thereof to the feed roll 3 of the receiving end of the machine. In practice ball bearings have been faeture of clothing, in which case large quantities of cloth must be cutters.

' The surfaces of the different feed rolls can be sanded or otherwise rendered rough and adapted to feed the cloth without danger of prepared for the slippage. With the long table andthe feed 2 rolls disposed. at intervals, as explained, the cloth has time and opportunity to freely flatten out, so that wrinkles or creases are eliminated as presented, and the clotharrives in smooth and good condition at the point where it finally enters the folding means. The cloth practically floats alon' in two superimposed thicknesses as statecli and its weight issufiicient to keep ;it flat and in proper engagement with the feed rolls underneath the moving cloth.

The table 2, therefore, serves as a smooth- Thus it will-be seenthat the long table over whichthe cloth passes is provided with --positively driven feeding means at opposite l0 ends thereof, the-positively driven drum or feeding roll "3 being interposed between the table and the means for supplyingthe cloth,

whereby the clothtravelsfrom the rols 2 to'the'druin' 3 under some degree of pull or tension, andthenitra-vels from the roll 3 to the roll 4 while practically under no'tension or stretch whatever.

il -hat I claim as my invention is:

In a clotlrmeasirring machine, means to provide a horizontal surface for the cloth, instrumentalit-ies for engaging the cloth at intervals inthe lengththereof and thereby feeding'the cloth by carrying it along without tension over said. surface, and a cloth meter arranged torest upon the cloth traveling on said surface.

2. A structure as: specified in claim 1, said means being longtable with a flat-top,

and said -instru'mentalities comprising rolls disposed at intervals in the length of said table, together with means for positively driving said rolls in unison at. the same speed.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, comprising a table with a flat top forming said surface, means subject to the pull of said instrumentalities to deliver the cloth to the receiving end of said table, and means froming part of said instrumentalities to reduce the tension of the cloth before it passes under said clot-h meter.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1, said instrumentalities comprising rolls over which the cloth travels, an idler engaging one roll, and means for driving this one roll and thereby the other rolls, so that said rolls all rotate in unison at the same speed, said clot-h meter being near said one roll.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1, said instrumentalities comprising a driven feed roll, an idler roll engaging said feed roll, thereby to feed the cloth over and downward .rom the driven roll, in combination with a swinging folder in the form of a. pendulum member which allows the cloth to hang straight down and which is disposed below said rolls, and means whereby said driven roll transmits power to operate said member back and forth to fold the cloth.

6. A structure as specified in claim 1, in combination with a. folder, and means whereby the folder is operated by power from said instrumentalities.

7. A. structure as specified in claim 1, in combination with means for delivering the unmeasured clot-h smoothly to said instrumentalities, and means for'fol ding the measured cloth without tension.

8. A structure as specified in claim 1, in

combination with means fo folding the tin-' measured cloth without tension.

9. A structure its-specified in Claim 1,

adapted by means of said instrumentalities instrumentalities designed to feed the cloth to said folder in double thickness, said 1ns'trumentalities comprising a long table having feed rolls disposed at intervals along the lengththereof, to-carry and feed the cloth "forward, adapted to reduce the tension of the cloth before it reaches the folder, and means for supplying the cloth under tension to the first roll at the receiving end of said table. 7

-12.In a cloth fol'dingmachine, the com bination of a folder which allows the cloth in double thickness to hang down straight therein, means to operate said folder, and instrumentalities designed to feed the cloth to said folder in double thickness, said folder omprising a swinging member which allows the two thicknesses to hang down straight, and said means to operate the folder comprising a crank and pitinan operated by said instrun'lentalities.

13. In a cloth folding machine, the com bination of a folder which allows the cloth in double thickness to hang down straight therein, means to operate said folder, and instrumentalities designed to feed the cloth to said folder in double thickness, in combination with means to deliver the cloth smoothly to the machine, said instrumentalities having provisions to reduce any tension before the cloth reaches said folder.

14. In a cloth folding machine, the combination of a folder which allows the cloth in double thickness to hang down straight therein, means to operate said folder, and instrumentalities designed to feed the cloth to said folder in double thickness, said instrumentalities comprising positively driven rolls disposed at intervals below the cloth, adapted to carry the cloth forward in double thickness in a horizontally disposed plane, with one of said rolls above said folder, and a loose idler engaging said one roll to help feed the cloth downward. to said folder.

15. In a cloth folding machine, the comhination of a folder which allows the cloth in double thickness to hang down straight therein, means to operate said folder, and

instrumentalities designedto feed the cloth to said folder in double thickness, in comloi nation with. rotary means for suspending a .holtor roll of cloth in position to feed the cloth to said instrumentalities, said rotary means being adapted for insertion in a loop of the cloth, so that the bolt or roll hangs below said rotary means.

1.6.x; structure as specified in claim 1, in combination with rotary means to sus pend a roll or belt of cloth in a loop thereof to feed the cloth to said instrumentalities. 17. Av structure as specifiedin claim- 1, said cloth meter being hinged to float on the moving cloth near the discharge end of the machine.

.means adapted cespeciallyfor'feeding the Jcloth at the same speed at intervals in the length thereof and folding the cloth in double thickness without wrinkles or ten-' sion.

20. In a means to supply the cloth to said. feeding means, smoothing and straightening neans to receive and feed the cloth from said feeding means, foldingmeans to receive the cloth machine for niieasuring and foldmg cloth, the combination of feed ng means,

from said smoothing means, and measuring means to measure the cloth passing through the machine. I v

21. A structure as specified in claim '20, said smoothing means comprising a horizontally disposed table with means at each;

the upper surface thereof, and said feeding means and said folding means being adapted to feed and fold the cloth in double thickness.

7 end thereof tocause the cloth to travel along 22. In a machine of the class described, l

the combination of means for supplying sheet material, a horizontally Y disposed feeding table at one end of which the sheet material is delivered and from the other end 1' of which the sheet material is discharged, means at each end of said table for posi tively feeding the sheet material, thereby toreduce thetension or strain in the sheet material traveling over the table, and means.v

for operating said feeding means in unison.

iiERMAN D. BRENNER; 

